the oldest, major stephen hutchinson, killed in a bomb blast at age 60. among those states especially hard-hit, 22 troops from tiny vermont died. the small population of montana suffered 230 wounded. in all, 34,268 americans would be wounded there. and the fighters we lost were sons and daughters from every single state. from 26-year-old specialist michael edwards of fairbanks, alaska, to 38-year-old chief petty officer patrick wade of key west, florida. 4,000 miles between them, in one nation indivisible, serving when called. >>> and, now, we turn to the giant storm, hurricane earl, the growing threat to the east coast. hurricane watches have just been issued for most of north carolina's coast. and as the monster storm builds, getting stronger as it goes, tonight, it is a category 4, 135-mile-per-hour winds, gusting up to 160. in the atlantic, the waves are surging, and the hit onshore could still come thursday. steve osunsami is in morehead city, north carolina, watching the approaching storm. >> reporter: hurricane earl came close enough to islands in